APIC '11: Global BD demand to grow 23% by 2015 - IHS

FUKUOKA, Japan (ICIS)--Global demand for butadiene (BD) will increase by nearly 23% by 2015, lifted by growth in all regions, particularly Asia, consulting firm IHS said on Thursday.

Global demand for BD will total 13m tonnes/year in 2015, rising from 10.6m tonnes/year in 2010, said IHS senior manager Ed Gartner, who added that Asia will account for 53% of the global BD demand in 2015.

That compares with 50% in 2010, he said during the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2011, which is being held in Fukuoka, Japan, on 26-27 May.

Gartner said Asia led the world out of the 2008 recession, with demand recovery for all of the major petrochemicals, including BD.

Asia’s BD consumption rose by 2.4% year on year in 2009, while demand from the rest of the world climbed by 1.6%.

A similar trend was seen in 2010, when BD demand from Asia rose by 10.6% from 2009, while consumption in other regions increased by 6.8%.

IHS expects Asian countries, excluding Japan, to be the catalyst of global economic growth in the next five years.